Collide
by XxCrash.And.BurnXx
Summary: COMPLETE! Thank you to all who read and reviewed! ** It was just a pit stop in Western New York, but he discovered something to help heal everything he's been through.
1. The Magic 8 Ball

**Disclaimer: I own the characters you don't know. I own The Magic 8 Ball. Borrowing the boys for a little while. Don't think Kripke will mind much. **

**;) Hope you enjoy!**

**CHAPTER ONE**

The Winchester brothers entered the ironically named pool hall, _The Magic 8 Ball _with the intention of a drink in mind but Dean had set his sights on the girl behind the bar. Currently, she had her back turned which caused the tattoo of a pentagram on the back of her shoulder blade to catch his attention. She looked like the typical girl from a small town, dressed in dark blue skinny jeans and a black halter top with a black apron tied sideways around her slender waist. Dean took a seat at the bar, not catching a glimpse at her face until she spun around, her strawberry blonde tresses twirling over her bare shoulders as she stood across from him with a friendly smile.

"Hi, what can I get you?" she said swiftly.

"Double Cheeseburger, hold the lettuce, an order of fries, and your number," he replied smartly.

The young woman quirked an eyebrow at him and handed him a slip of paper with a number for his order on it scribbled in decent handwriting. "_That_ is the only _number_ you'll be getting from me," she stated, smirking as he sighed and took the paper.

He shook his head. "Touché," he chuckled as his brother sat down next to him and asked for two beers.

The strawberry blonde behind the bar gave him a genuine smile, disappeared for a moment and returned with two mugs of Samuel Adams. She ignored the elder of the two and stopped in front of Sam, her smile still in place as she set the beer down and held out a folded piece of paper to him, steadied between her fingers like a cigarette. There wasn't a word uttered in exchange. Sam gave her a dimpled smile and a nod before she slipped away.

"Dude seriously, what the hell," Dean said, rolling his eyes slightly.

"What?" his brother chuckled as he looked over the paper for another moment before folding it back up.

"I totally just hit on her and she shot me down. Then you come along and ask for a beer and she hands you her number right off the bat!" he laughed quietly. "I don't get that. She must have a crappy taste in guys."

Sam shot him a look. "Maybe she's sick of guys trying to get in her pants constantly."

"I just asked for her number!"

"Yeah and you weren't thinking of using that number for a quick hook up," he replied sarcastically as he took a swig of his drink.

"What'd the note say anyway?" his brother asked, easily changing the subject.

"Obviously nothing that concerns you," Sam smirked.

Dean tried to snatch the paper from him, but it was out of his reach within an instant. She was standing nearby, trying not to laugh at their childish, but brotherly antics. After a moment, Dean got a hold of the note and soon after, he'd accidentally dropped it in his beer.

"Fuck," he muttered, glancing into the mug for a second. He looked up at his brother and Sam was giving him the most annoyed look. Dean tried to give him an innocent smile and a shrug, but he wouldn't buy it.

Sighing, the strawberry blonde shook her head and approached them again. Just as Sam was about to smack his big brother upside the head, she grabbed his hand and scribbled her digits. She shot him a smile accompanied with a cock of an eyebrow as a warning and disappeared into the back room.

"Man, she must be watching you like a damn hawk," Dean said wide-eyed with surprise as he tried to glance into the back room from his brother's point of view. He ended up getting forcefully moved back onto his bar stool with a shove from Sam; he barely had to move from where he was smirking into his beer mug.

"Notice she didn't bother getting you another beer," he stated simply.

Dean paused for a moment before glancing at his paper-infested drink and making a face. "Damn it," he sighed. "I'm going to play darts…"

Sam tried to hide the light bulb that went off over his head as his brother walked away. He immediately slipped behind the bar and followed the bee line the girl had made to the back room.

"When do you get off work?" he inquired, perching himself in the doorway.

The strawberry blonde turned around at the voice and a smile spread across her face. "Nine," she stated, inching closer to him, her smile growing.

"So d'you want to go out for coffee or something after…?" he tried.

She grinned, standing on her toes to place a soft, tempting kiss on his lips. "The name's Hallie, by the way," she whispered in his ear before breezing past him, back to the bar.

"W-Was that a yes?" he stuttered out, taken back and slightly confused by her nonchalant actions.

Hallie just glanced over her shoulder, sending a flirtatious smile his way that clearly answered his question and returned to work.

Sam touched his fingers to his smiling lips for a moment; was that…cupcake flavored lip-gloss? He grinned to himself and went out to find his brother. He relented to a table nearby where he'd spotted the older, since he was flirtatiously teaching a brunette how to throw darts.

Dean knew the hysterical giggles constantly escaping her lips were because of him and not the minor amount of alcohol in her system. He liked it better that way. He stepped behind her and placed one hand on her hip, steadying her while his other hand went to the hand she was using to throw the darts with. "Now, steady does it," he whispered huskily in her ear, letting his breath tickle a bit.

With a joint effort, they hit the bull's-eye and Elizabeth swiveled in his arms to plant a sloppy kiss on his lips. At this point, Sam could only roll his eyes and send his eyes searching around the bar for Miss Cupcake Lips. She was floating around behind the bar, all smiles and flirty giggles for tips, and Sam couldn't help but laugh. His brother, who had been said to be "absolutely gorgeous", had hit on this girl and she hadn't even offered a decent grin, yet she'd flirt for tips. Now that was something the younger Winchester found funny.

Within the next half hour, Dean and his soon-to-be one-nighter had managed to move to a secluded table (annoyingly, by his brother) while heavily making out. Sam just continued watching Hallie, his eyes never straying to the right in fear he'd be scarred for life. When nine 'o clock finally rolled around, the strawberry blonde was approaching him with subtly yet somehow seductively swaying hips and Dean was all prepped for his one-nighter.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Hallie chirped with a grin as she stopped in front of the younger man.

"Yeah, sure," Sam chuckled. "Dean! I'm leaving!" He didn't bother waiting for an answer, but soon heard heavy footsteps behind him, along with the night's familiar giggles. He was REALLY glad he wouldn't be back at the motel for a while.

Dean and Elizabeth soon disappeared in the Impala, leaving Sam to his date.

"Miss Cupcake Lips" as he'd so easily declared her earlier led him to the parking lot where her car was parked; a black 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback.

"Nice car," he chuckled as he slid into the passenger seat.

Hallie started the car and grinned at the dull roar of the engine. "Thanks, tell your brother the same," she smirked. "Starbuck's sound good?"

"That sounds amazing," he said with a sigh. "I could use a cup of caffeine."

--♥

A few good conversations over coffee and getting kicked out of the local library for "disturbing the peace", almost concluded their night at 11 until Hallie suggested a walk that landed them on the roof of an abandoned building. Overlooking the small town and the starry night, the two sat on the ground against the parapet in silence, the full moon casting a light over the rooftop that made it seem lessened in age. Sam glanced over at the silhouette of the young woman sitting next to him at the faint sound of chattering, only to realize it was her teeth. Chuckling softly, he unzipped his hoodie and threw it around her bare, shivering shoulders only to receive a sigh of relief in reply.

"Thanks," she chattered quietly with a chuckle of her own.

He nodded and let his arm hang around her, mildly trying to rub the goosebumps from her arms while pulling her closer. Hallie curled into the warmth he offered and rested her head against his shoulder, pretending the deep breath she inhaled wasn't just for a whiff of his cologne.

"Dean doesn't have you on a curfew, right?" she murmured jokingly.

Sam smiled. "No… Plus, I think his date's going to keep him amused for the next couple hours."

She nodded. "Good."

"How 'bout you? Daddy knows you're out with a guy and he didn't set any time restraints?"

"Nope. He's not that kind of daddy," she chuckled. "He gives his daughters their freedom when necessary."

"So when's necessary?"

"Whenever I ask for it."

"How convenient."

"What about Dean?"

"What about him?" Sam looked at her confused.

"He seems like a … control freak with a lot of one-nighters. He ever let you off your leash while you're on the road?"

"As much as he likes to think it, I don't have one," he cackled. "He is a control freak, but he's my big brother. It's his job to pretend he's got me on a leash."

"Then I guess it means it's my job to keep you out as long as humanly possible so he doesn't interrogate the hell outta you about whether or not you got sexed up by the bartender."

He looked a bit taken back by this, but soon started laughing. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Silence took over the rooftop again for a little while. Neither wanted to move and neither realized when they finally did that Sam was driving her back to her place despite it being her car, thus creating the problem that he had no ride back to the motel.

"Well, since I have your hoodie and you have my car, we've both got motives to meet up in the morning to trade back," Hallie cackled as they stood in front of the double doors to her dad's pool hall whose upstairs served as hers and her father's apartment.

Sam chuckled and nodded. "Apparently…" he paused for a moment before looking up at her, into her eyes, to finally notice their beautiful chocolate brown color. "I had a good time," he stated.

"Yeah, me too," she smiled. "Maybe we should do it again sometime."

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "I don't know how long we'll be here, but it's the thought that counts, right?" he chuckled.

Hallie nodded in agreement, fumbling with the keys in her hand. "Definitely. So, I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes, you will."

Just as she was about to open her mouth for a goodbye, he planted a kiss very similar to their first on her lips. Her eyebrows raised closed lids for a moment then she broke apart reluctantly when the outside lights turned on above their heads. "That's my dad," she whispered breathlessly.

All he could manage was another nod as she slowly unlocked the door. She cast a glance over her shoulder, accompanied by a smile just before she slipped inside.

Sam's patented, dimpled smile slid across his own face as he returned to the car, the familiar cupcake flavor on his lips.

**A/N: Well, this story has literally been running around my scattered brain (and my computer) for a year. **_**A FREAKING YEAR**_**! Cassie bailed so I recreated the timeline and I like it A LOT better this time around. I've edited so much in it that I'm rewriting the entire thing, just using some of the same general ideas. For all you Dean Lovers, he does end up with a girl (or two) and hopefully the characters I've created will be of the likeable sort. I'd really appreciate some feedback; I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I am working on it as I post this first one. No worries! I have a pretty interestingly juicy plotline this time around!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANYONE WHO'S HELPED ME SORT THIS STORY OUT! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!**

**XxCrash.And.BurnXx**


	2. Casper

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Are you sure you have to leave…?" Elizabeth pouted as the elder Winchester brother gathered his clothes from their second location that night, in the living room of her small one-bedroom apartment; the first being the backseat of the Impala to the envy of every girl's green monster. She was wrapped in a blanket on the couch, trying to pretend she wasn't watching him dress.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Dean sighed. "Gotta go find my brother and kick his date out of our motel room." He tugged his navy blue shirt over his head, found his button down draped over a kitchen chair and grabbed his leather coat off the floor. He dug around in his pocket for the keys for a second as the brunette watched him intently.

"Call me when you come back into town?" she asked hopefully.

He hesitated, but only for a moment before nodding. "When I come back into town," he repeated. "Bye!" he called over his shoulder and he was out the door.

Finally back in the Impala just as the sun was coming up, he whipped out his cell phone and scrolled down to his brother's number. Three rings later, Sam groggily answered the phone. "Hello…?" he slurred groggily.

"Mornin', Sammy!" Dean greeted him.

"Man," he groaned as he glanced at the clock on the nightstand, "it's 5AM; where are you?"

"I'm outside the motel room and I see a Mustang that's clearly not yours. Do you still have company?" he smirked.

He heard Sam huff, obviously annoyed. "No, I don't. I dropped her off last night on accident," he said sarcastically. "I just borrowed her car, Dean."

The motel room door opened and light poured in as big brother closed his phone and entered with a tired grin. "G'morning, Sunshine!" he chuckled.

"Go away, you ass," Sam grumbled into his pillow. He hung up his phone and tossed it on the bed next to him. "You got laid. That's great, but if I find any evidence in the damn car, I'll kill you."

Dean's grin grew. "Glad I got rid of it, then."

"Oh, ew! Dude!" And that was the start of the most eventful day they'd had in a month.

**Motel, 9:30AM-**

"So, we're off to the Magic 8 Ball again, huh?" Dean smirked. His brother had just emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed, with the most annoyed look on his face.

"Well, I've gotta give her the car back," he said.

"Mhm and you totally have a thing for her. What happened last night?"

"Nothin'," Sam shrugged. "We went to Starbuck's, we talked. We got kicked out of the library for being loud and ended up spending a few hours on the rooftop of an old building."

"Ahh," his smirk grew. "Few hours on the rooftop, huh?"

Sam gave him an exasperated look. "She likes to stargaze."

"Yeah, I'm sure she was seeing stars…"

"Would you get your mind outta the gutter!?" he exclaimed, finally fed up. He grabbed the car keys off the nightstand and stalked out to the black Mustang.

--♥

Pulling up to the bar, Sam's heart almost stopped. The window right above the bar and kitchen was broken, tiny glass shards splayed across the sidewalk like spilled blood. Dean wasn't far behind in the Impala. As they both got out of the car, Dean's playful, joking tone disintegrated.

"Sammy?"

"I don't know, dude," Sam replied quietly, moving to open one of the double doors to the right of the window. The bell over the door rang and a strawberry blonde messy bun popped up over the counter.

"Hello?" she called a moment before she stood up and both brothers were relieved to see it was Hallie.

"Hey, yourself… What happened?" Dean asked curiously, glancing over the bar to see a dustpan full of glass, and thankfully no blood.

"Well," the young woman let out a sigh, brushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes, "my brother decided to pay a visit. Damn spirits are so violent."

Sam's heart DID stop at that statement. "Spirits?"

"Yeah, y'know; like Casper?" Hallie said. "Only bitchier," she added with a soft chuckle as she picked up the dustpan and emptied it in a nearby metal garbage can.

Dean glanced at his brother's blank expression and gave him a nod, signaling it was probably a good time to explain what was going on; what their job actually was; why they were in town.

Sam swallowed and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Hallie, can I talk to you?" he asked as his brother walked away.

She smiled and leaned over the counter. It was then that he realized she was still wearing his hoodie, partially zippered. "About what?" she asked innocently.

"What my brother and I…actually do…" he managed.

Hallie gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"We uh… well, we hunt the paranormal."

Dean was nearby, listening in. He expected screaming, denying, and maybe even some more shattered glass.

What he got was a simple, "Oh."

"Oh? That's it?" Sam inquired.

"What were you expecting? A slap across the face? Because I'll give it to you if you really want it," she smirked.

"Well, no…but I thought you'd…freak out…" he stuttered for the words to explain his confusion, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"Sam, I'm not going to judge you," she stated. "Or slap you, for that matter. Sure, most people probably tell you you're a crazy bastard, right? Right, well, I'm not most people." She reached behind the bar, swiftly pulling a sawed-off into his view. She set it on the counter in front of him and looked up at him with a smile. "I get called crazy, too."

At that point, Dean butted in and grabbed the shotgun off the bar. "Crazy irony, Sammy!" he exclaimed through a bite of laughter. "She's a hunter, too!"

Hallie shook her head. "Not a hunter. Just a very cautious book-reader," she chuckled. "I'm mutual, I guess. I don't hunt them, but I don't like them either. I started reading this book. _The Ghost Hunter's Strangest Cases_. I had fun researching and eventually became paranoid of EVERYTHING," she laughed. "Now I just have to keep the sawed-off by my side at all times because my big bro just happens to be a ghost and I refuse to dust his bones."

"Ha, I never realized how dirty that sounded until someone else said it," Dean cackled to himself.

Sam rolled his eyes. "So you're really into this stuff, huh?"

"Oh, totally. I forced my dad to read the book and made him a sawed-off. He laughed, but I know…" she narrowed her eyes and jabbed her thumb in the direction of the stairs, "he uses it on my brother, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"I can safely assume that means you told him about your brother, too?" Dean inquired.

She nodded. "He doesn't like to talk about his death so I just left it at, 'he's still here to bug the hell outta us,' and let it go. Dad knew what I meant; never doubted that for a second."

"If you don't mind me asking, how'd he die?" Sam asked, gently.

Hallie's eyes shifted to the shotgun in his brother's hands then glanced up at Sam for a moment, shaking her head. She looked as though she was about to speak when the bell over the door rang, startling the tears from her eyes. It was one of her brother's friends. Ironic, much?

"Hey, Luke," she greeted with a tired sigh.

"Hey, sweetie, can I get some of those amazing pancakes?" he smiled slyly. She didn't notice, but his eyes were wandering from her face to her chest.

"GETTTTTT OUTTTTTTT!" the ghostly echo rang out, causing the blonde young man to jump back from the counter, glancing around for the source.

Dean glanced at Hallie, his eyes asking if this was indeed her brother. She nodded, a small frown creasing her lips. He had her shotgun.

"GETTTT OUTTTT, LUCAS!" the echo called out again, closer this time. Hallie squeaked softly when she realized the ghost of her brother was standing next to her behind the bar.

"Holy shit," she muttered, jumping a little.

Sam watched her cautiously, afraid of what the spirit might do. It suddenly vanished and reappeared next to Luke who was cowering closer to the door.

"I SAID GETT THE HELL OUTTT!" the final terrifying voice of the spook scared the young man back to his car like it was intended and the spirit disappeared completely.

Everything was quiet for a moment.

"THANK YOU!" Hallie called out in hopes it would satisfy her brother enough to stay away for a while. She looked to Dean. She realized he was armed with her shotgun, gripping it tightly and his jaw was set in stone. "I thought you were a hunter," she chuckled.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am. But I'd prefer a warning…" he said breathily.

Sam couldn't help but burst out laughing. "He really scared you…"

"Shit, usually I know who and what I'm dealing with! And I'm armed!"

"You are armed," Hallie stated simply.

"Well!" he started to protest and his tensed shoulders relaxed. "Damnit, I am…"

This only made his brother laugh harder. "I should throw you in sudden situations like that more often…" he cackled, highly entertained for the moment.

"Yeah, shut up."

**Soon after (around 10AM); Behind the building,**

**Clearing in the Woods-**

"Sam, why am I being forced to do this?" she whined, glancing at the man standing above her as she lay sprawled in the soft grass.

He extended a hand to her and she reluctantly let him pull her up. "Because I want to see how good of a shot you are," he replied simply.

Hallie groaned. "Fine…"

He chuckled and handed her the shotgun. She clipped three cans off the fence, but when she moved to aim for the fourth, she felt muscles tighten around her and her grip on the gun.

"W-What're you doing?" she inquired, breathing hitching a little, which was totally out of character; Hallie Carson was generally labeled 'cool, calm, and collected', but she'd recently discovered that all that stopped when Sam Winchester came around.

"Giving you some pointers," he whispered huskily in her ear. Not enough to send her reeling out of his arms, but enough to send nervous chills down her spine like a lightning bolt. Goosebumps pricked up on her arms and her neck, especially on the skin his breath was tickling. He was talking, but she couldn't concentrate; only felt tingles whenever he pressed a warm hand to a different place on her body to guide her. The fog in her head cleared the instant a sudden gunshot went off and the slight recoil scared the crap out of her.

"Sam!" she squeaked when she realized he'd pulled the trigger at the discovery she wasn't paying attention. Oh, he was way too smart.

"You listening now?" he smirked.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed, relaxing against his chest.

"Kind of the point," he replied.

Most the day was spent in the field with hands on learning and mind fog until the echo of someone calling her name broke through the giggles of the two lying in the grass, finding shapes in the clouds like little kids. Sam glanced at his watch.

"It's almost six thirty," he stated, glancing over at the nineteen year old lying next to him, still giggling over nothing.

Her laughter subsided with a sigh. "Coming!" she called back to her father, eyeing Sam as he got off the ground and brushed the dirt off his butt.

"I think he meant now," he chuckled, outstretching one long arm to help her up. She grabbed hold of his hand so he could tug her to her feet though when she did, she found herself close enough to him to smell his cologne again. "Hey," he breathed, dimples back in place as they should be.

"Hi," she replied with a grin.

Sam stalled for a minute, his breath tickling her skin as he hesitated to kiss her. It took a long moment of staring inquisitively at her to realize she was anticipating it eagerly, clinging tightly to him in their tangle of arms.

"You're one of those guys who like girls who make the first move, aren't you?" she inquired smartly, brushing her lips against his own.

That one statement brought his hesitation's reign to end as he captured her in a kiss just before her father's voice rang out again.

"Hallie! I need you in here, please!" he called, aggravation evident in his voice.

They broke apart reluctantly and she starred at him for a long moment then raised a finger to prod him in the chest gently.

"There's something wrong with the fact that that's the only kiss I've gotten all day from you," she stated with a smile.

Sam was about to reply, but she bent down to pick up the shotgun off the grass and grabbed his hand to lead him back to the bar.

Upon returning, Hallie had discovered that it was pretty crowded for that time in the afternoon. Her dad was working behind the bar with several customers and she'd spotted Dean flirting with, unbeknownst to him, her cousin who was trying to work. He was quite the worthy distraction.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to your job," Sam whispered in her ear.

She let out a sigh and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll catch up with you later," she stated. He slipped away to find a game of pool to play.

Hallie's realization was that most of these people were her brother's friends, which made her nervous after what had happened that morning with Luke; especially since he was there, lingering by the bar, despite those happenings.

"Sorry it took so long," she chirped as she slid in behind the bar and hastily tied her black apron sideways around her waist. "Need me to take over back here?"

Charlie, her father, shook his head. "No, I've got this covered; just wait on the two tables of your brother's friends back there for me."

Hallie made a face he didn't see before escaping the bar to approach the six rowdy guys at the back of the room. She passed Sam at a pool table on the way there and made sure to get his attention with a simple gesture; trailing her fingernails across his back, very subtle to everyone but him, as she passed. He shot another dimpled grin over his shoulder at her as she stopped at the table of guys.

"Hey, guys, what can I get you?" she greeted, all smiles.

One of them looked up at her with sharp blue eyes through jet black bangs. He was the kindest of the gang, but the rest all had their appetite for sex and most of the time she was the main course of their mind's menu.

"You with a side of fries," the supposed leader said with a smirk, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. "Think you can manage?"

The nineteen year old swatted his hand away and tried to walk off, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap, pinning her with his other arm around her waist like a seatbelt.

"Let go of me," she tried but the words were strangled as she was struggling to get away from him.

"C'mon, Kevin, let her go," the shy blue-eyed boy on the opposite side of the table argued.

Amidst her struggling, Hallie knocked a glass of water onto the floor and that caught everyone's attention. Yet, he continued to be a jerk until Sam came to her rescue and just as he did, Kevin noted that he was taller and more built and let her go.

The strawberry blonde scrambled away from him, cowering behind the Winchester as her father stormed over.

Neither Sam nor Charlie had time to do anything to him, though, because the cold chill that ran in the air. Sam felt it and glanced over at his brother, making sure Hallie was tucked safely by his side. Dean answered with a nod.

The ghost appeared in front of Kevin, its hand immediately reaching out to grab his throat in a close to successful attempt at strangling him.

**A/N: So… Kind of a cliffy…**

**;) Hope no one minds.**

**Leave a review? Please? Flames are welcome.**

**XxCrash.And.BurnXx**


	3. Flicker, Disappear

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Matthew!" Hallie all but shrieked. "Matthew, let him go!"

There was a blur of events, somehow managing to get everyone but the gang of the ghost's friends outside of the building.

Dean searched the crowd of fleeting people for his brother, but only found the strawberry blonde he'd been standing by. "Where'd Sam go?" he inquired frantically.

"I don't know," she said softly, peering through the glass doors, only to come to realization that neither Sam nor her father had gotten out; and an addition to that discovery? She couldn't get back into that building if she _wanted_ to. "I think we have a problem," she stated, panic rising in her voice.

"What?" he asked.

"We're locked out and both my dad and Sam are locked in," she answered.

**Inside-**

Charlie had managed to sneak upstairs for his sawed-off and by the time he returned, Sam had retrieved his daughter's from behind the bar. The younger, still armed, fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his brother's phone. He got no answer, thanks to the dead battery, and thought for a moment that he remembered seeing the shape of Hallie's phone in her pocket earlier. "Mr. Carson, what's Hallie's cell number?" he asked quickly.

The elder man didn't hesitate to give him the number and watched closely for the spirit disappearing and reappearing around his bar.

Sam got a bit of a frantic answer.

**Outside-**

"Hello?" her voice was shaking when she picked up.

"_I know he's your brother, Hals, but you can't hold off torching him any longer and I suggest you do it fast or someone's going to die tonight," _Sam replied in a hurry.

Hallie bit her lip. "I know. Be careful, Sam," she said quietly before she shut the phone and turned to the Winchester standing behind her. "North Ridge Cemetery."

Dean looked a bit surprised, but started to get in his car parked next to the sidewalk. "You comin' or staying?" he asked quickly.

She hesitated for a moment then slid into the passenger seat.

**Bar-**

Sam shoved his cell phone back in his pocket with a sigh. He was confident she could allow herself to do it, but it wasn't going to be easy.

"What do we do?" Charlie asked. The spirit had disappeared for now. The bar was silent and the six guys it had been trying to kill were basically cowering in the booth.

The younger man shrugged. "Wait it out, hope to god Dean gets to the grave before he comes back…"

**Impala-**

"This is the only way to get rid of him?" Hallie asked curiously. "I mean, talking to him won't help…?"

The man sitting in the driver's seat chuckled. "You've read the books, haven't you?" he asked. "He's gone, you've gotta let him go," he added seriously.

Her gaze shifted to the stud on her jeans she was picking at. "I guess me letting him stay here this long didn't help, did it?" she inquired.

Dean gave her a curious look as he pulled into the cemetery. "No, but I'm not sure I can blame you. I know salt and burn kind of fits my job description, but it's a little different when they're family. I get it."

She nodded, signaling that was along the lines of what she'd been going through for the past year or so.

"So how was your date with Sammy?" he grinned. "I couldn't get any information from him this morning and you guys spent the afternoon hiding. Speaking of, what were you up to out there?"

"You're a nosy big brother… and if he wanted you to know, I'm sure he would've told you about the date," she stated with a small smirk. "He was giving me pointers."

Dean smirked, quirking an eyebrow at the strawberry blonde. "Pointers, huh? You know, getting sex tips from Sam is like learning how to cook from someone who burns microwaveable mac and cheese."

"And getting them from you would be getting cooking tips from someone who manages to fuck up a bowl of cereal."

"Ouch," he laughed. "That smarted a little."

Hallie quieted as they neared her brother's grave. She could see it from the car and debated getting out as he pulled up to the edge of the curb.

The elder was already ready with supplies from the trunk before she even thought to get out. He stopped to poke his head in the driver's side window. "You wanna stay in the car?"

She hesitated for a moment and shook her head, a quivering sigh escaping her lips. "No, I'm coming."

The tombstone looked the same, only the flowers left there were wilted and brown. It still read, "MATTHEW CARSON, loving brother and son. May he rest in peace," and it caused a small cynical laugh to break through her.

"Yeah, rest in peace," she murmured to herself.

Dean couldn't help but smirk. "You gonna help me dig or what?" He held out a shovel to her and she took it, but stalled breaking ground right away.

"This is definitely going on my list of weird experiences," she mumbled.

He could only laugh.

**Bar-**

Charlie Carson and Sam stood in the booth's surrounding area, shotguns in hand and loaded. The spirit had disappeared a few minutes ago and the bar was eerily silent now. Kevin was the most terrified, but Sam wished he could get his own hands on him when this was all over; assaulting Hallie hadn't exactly put saving Kevin on his priority list.

"What's going on?" Charlie inquired, his stance loosening a little.

"Hang on," the Winchester brother said quietly. Just as he started pulling his cell phone out of his pocket again, the ghost reappeared in front of Kevin and immediately wrapped his hands around his neck.

**Cemetery-**

"Salt." Dean gestured for the strawberry blonde to hand him the salt he'd retrieved from the trunk of the Impala. She tossed it to him and watched, somewhat dazed, as he dumped the contents into her brother's grave. Between the salt, the gas and the fire that was now blazing over her sibling's remains, the situation had become suddenly more upsetting than expected. "C'mon, we've gotta get out of here before someone sees us," he piped up a few minutes later as he gathered their belongings and led her towards the car with his free hand on the small of her back.

She was concealing tears by the time they were driving out of the gates at the entrance of the graveyard.

The Winchester spared a glance in her direction and mentally slapped himself for not making her stay behind; it _was _her brother after all and, up until now, he hadn't really thought about the fact that this would be a bit of an emotional disaster. He could tell Hallie was doing her best not to cry. A lone drop escaped from the chocolate brown eyes in the passenger seat and she tried to make wiping it away as subtle as possible.

"You okay?" he pried gently.

She nodded. "Yeah," she stated with a sniffle. "Music?" It was said in the least amount of words possible, but he understood it meant she didn't want to talk and he was completely content with that. Emotions were never his thing, anyway.

With a nod, he turned up the stereo and turned onto the road back to the Magic 8 Ball.

**Bar-**

Matthew Carson's spirit flickered for a moment and then disappeared, leaving Kevin in the booth, gasping for air.

Within ten minutes, the gang had calmed down and relaxed. Sam recognized the familiar rumble of the Impala's engine outside; he could see the headlights click off as the vehicle pulled up to the sidewalk. Almost immediately after, Hallie pushed through the glass doors and past the men currently standing by the bar. Charlie cast a sideward glance at the Sam, confusion and worries evident in his worn-out features, obviously not sure if he should go after her.

The elder Winchester brother forced open the door a moment later, subtle frustration, but more concern written on his face. "I wouldn't let her stay up there alone for long," he stated.

His brother set down the shotgun on the counter next to Mr. Carson and started up the stairs, two at a time.

Kevin took the opportunity to leave, considering within the ten minutes when everything was calm, Sam had threatened him with a glare that could define the "If looks could kill…" phrase.

The rest of the gang didn't hesitate to follow, except the black-haired, blue-eyed one that had taken his own turn to threaten the leader for assaulting Hallie. "Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"Probably not for a while, after what we just had to do," Dean said bluntly. "But Sammy's got it under control."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ryan," Charlie sighed. "Go home and get some sleep."

Ryan nodded and departed in silence.

"Right, well…"

"Dean."

"Well, Dean, I think you've earned a few beers."

"Ditto."

--

Sam figured out which room the strawberry blonde had run to simply by following the sound of muffled sobs. He knocked softly. "Hallie?" His voice was quiet, hoping not to spook her. She didn't reply, but he could tell she'd tried to stifle the sound of her crying more. With a quick intake of breath, he twisted the doorknob – thankful she hadn't thought to lock it – and poked his head in. Hallie was sitting in the middle of her bed, forehead rested atop her knees and her arms curled up next to her ears. "Hals, can I come in?"

She looked startled at first, trying to wipe tears from her cheeks without making it obvious, but the fact that what little make-up she'd bothered to apply before work this morning was smeared below her eyes or running down her cheeks gave her away. "You're already in," she muttered.

He shut the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. A single lock of strawberry blonde was obscuring his view from her hidden facial features. With the slightest amount of hesitation, he brushed it back behind her ear. "I probably should've told you when I said you had to do it… I didn't literally mean you had to go do it yourself…"

"You should've let him strangle Kevin," she murmured.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to," he stated.

Hallie shook her head. "It probably would've put him to rest… Kevin's the reason he's dead."

**A/N: Mini-cliff, I suppose. :) Don't worry, I'll finish this scene in the next chapter; I desperately need to finish the scene because of the ending.**

**Leave a review, please! Or a flame!**

**XxCrash.And.BurnXx**


	4. Promised Goodbye

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Sam figured out which room the strawberry blonde had run to simply by following the sound of muffled sobs. He knocked softly. "Hallie?" His voice was quiet, hoping not to spook her. She didn't reply, but he could tell she'd tried to stifle the sound of her crying more. With a quick intake of breath, he twisted the doorknob – thankful she hadn't thought to lock it – and poked his head in. Hallie was sitting in the middle of her bed, forehead rested atop her knees and her arms curled up next to her ears. "Hals, can I come in?"_

_She looked startled at first, trying to wipe tears from her cheeks without making it obvious, but the fact that what little make-up she'd bothered to apply before work this morning was smeared below her eyes or running down her cheeks gave her away. "You're already in," she muttered._

_He shut the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. A single lock of strawberry blonde was obscuring his view from her hidden facial features. With the slightest amount of hesitation, he brushed it back behind her ear. "I probably should've told you when I said you had to do it… I didn't literally mean you had to go do it yourself…"_

"_You should've let him strangle Kevin," she murmured._

_He couldn't help but chuckle. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to," he stated._

_Hallie shook her head. "It probably would've put him to rest… Kevin's the reason he's dead."_

"What do you mean?" he inquired, confused.

"Gang fights are what I mean," she replied with a sniffle. "Kevin told someone Mattie did something he didn't and he got shot for it."

"That's how he died?" Sam asked, scooting closer to her to slide an arm around her waist.

"Dad doesn't like to talk about it 'cause it happened here. Right outside the bar. He feels like he could've prevented it somehow, but…I also know he knows it was a lost cause. Matt was bound to get blown away, hanging out with Kevin. I might not have to worry about Mattie anymore, but Ryan still doesn't listen when I tell him so I'm almost starting to think he's a lost cause, as well."

An inaudible sigh escaped his lips as he rested his chin atop her shoulder for a moment before she slid back to curl up and rest her head on the pillow. Sam hesitated on what to do but she patted the bed next to her innocently, closing her eyes in an attempt to get some much-needed sleep.

"I um…don't have to stay…if you're going to bed," he stuttered out nervously.

"Sam, after tonight, I really don't think sleep will come easily if I'm sitting in here alone with my thoughts," she said softly. "I'd appreciate the company."

With that understanding, he propped himself up against the headboard next to her and settled in for the night.

_There's another world inside of me  
That you may never see  
There're secrets in this life  
That I can't hide  
Somewhere in this darkness  
There's a light that I can't find  
Maybe it's too far away...  
Or maybe I'm just blind..._

Or maybe I'm just blind...

**7:17AM**

Charlie Carson made his way upstairs towards his eldest daughter's room, not quite sure what to expect of her after the previous events. Coffee cup in hand, he knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

If not for the fact that the nineteen year old was curled in tight to Sam's side, obviously for comfort, with tear streaks on her face, her father would've probably flipped his lid. He knew what drama last night had held for her and Sam wasn't the type to take advantage of such from what he'd seen – or been told by his brother – so he let them sleep in peace.

_So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
Hold me when I'm scared  
And love me when I'm gone  
Everything I am  
And everything in me  
Wants to be the one  
You wanted me to be  
I'll never let you down  
Even if I could  
I'd give up everything  
If only for your good  
So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
You can hold me when I'm scared  
You won't always be there  
So love me when I'm gone_

Love me when I'm gone...

**9:57AM**

Sam was awoken somewhat abruptly by the loud thud of a bird flying into the bedroom window. Surprisingly, when he jolted, the strawberry blonde with her face buried into his side didn't even flinch; she made a discontented noise and cuddled closer, but nothing else that said she'd wake. Despite his effort to be quiet, his phone started ringing and vibrating in his pocket and that immediately tore her from her dreams.

When he finally got it out of his pocket and glanced over at the bed, Hallie was looking up at him curiously, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Hello?" he answered, shooting her an extremely apologetic puppy look.

"_DIDYOUGETLAID?!"_ Dean's voice exclaimed from the other line.

Sam closed the phone, the most exasperated look on his face. "Sorry, Hals," he said quietly.

"It s'okay," she slurred tiredly. "He was probably just worried."

"Yeah," he chuckled as he settled back down on the bed so she could cuddle up to him again, "that's it."

She was about to say something in reply when his phone started ringing again. Sighing in annoyance, he answered it. "What do you want, Dean?"

"_I was actually calling to tell you we've got a job. Bobby called,"_ his brother replied. "We've gotta head out soon."

"How soon?" Sam asked, his tone taking on a disappointed ring.

"_If not tonight, pretty early tomorrow morning, but you know how I feel about five AM."_

"In other words, we're leaving tonight…"

Hallie's ears perked up; her eyes opened; she sat up to look at him curiously. She mouthed a simple, "What's going on?"

"_Sorry, man,"_ Dean said sincerely. _"Enjoy your last few hours."_

"Where is it?"

"_Uh…Seattle, Washington,"_ he answered. _"Across the country."_

"Hey," Hallie smacked the younger Winchester in the stomach, "answer me."

"Bye, Dean."

"_Let her down easy, Sammy."_

Sam pushed the End button and let out a sigh. "We've got a job in Seattle," he finally replied with sad, sympathetic puppy eyes. "We're leaving tonight."

"Oh." Her voice was quiet, obviously disappointed. "Do you know if you'll be able to come back?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know. I don't think I've ever had to worry about going BACK anywhere," he chuckled dryly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's not your fault," the strawberry blonde stated, sincerity in her voice. "It's a job."

"Yeah, but its one I don't get paid for."

Hallie couldn't help but crack a smile at that. "So …how long do you have until Dean gets here?"

"I don't really know. He just said we were leaving tonight." He shrugged.

"And that means…?"

"That means he could show up in the next ten minutes and I still wouldn't be going anywhere until it gets dark," he smiled, pulling her closer to kiss her forehead.

"Good," she replied.

_When your education X-Ray  
Cannot see under my skin  
I won't tell you a damn thing  
That I could not tell my friends  
Roaming through this darkness  
I'm alive but I'm alone  
Part of me is fighting this  
But part of me is gone_

**2:32PM**_  
_

"Did I ever thank you for yesterday?" Hallie lined another shot up at the billiards table her and Sam were sharing.

"Why would you thank me?" he asked, confused. "I didn't do anything, you and Dean did."

"No, not that; for keeping me company last night," she stated quietly. She only locked eyes with him for a moment before he forced himself to glance towards her father behind the bar and his big brother nursing a beer nearby.

"I didn't think a thank you was necessary. A good night's sleep was enough."

"What keeps you up all night if you're really not that freaked out by all the supernatural crap you hunt? Just the freaky paranoia that goes with it? Shouldn't you be used to that too?"

Sam shook his head. "Not something very simple to explain," he said, easily skirting the topic of psychic premonitions and powers.

"Try me, we've got a little time."

He looked up at her curiously. Did she REALLY want to know the crap he constantly had to put up with? Unwillingly, if he may add? He doubted it. "Not now. When I come back, I promise I'll explain it to you, okay?"

"Promise?" the nineteen year old challenged innocently, holding out her pinky to him with a childish grin.

Sam couldn't help but smile back, locking his pinky with hers. "Cross my heart and hope to die," he teased; the phrase was a joke, but the sincerity behind it was completely genuine. He sealed it with a quick kiss when he was sure her dad wasn't looking before they continued with their game.

_So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
Hold me when I'm scared  
And love me when I'm gone  
Everything I am  
And everything in me  
Wants to be the one  
You wanted me to be  
I'll never let you down  
Even if I could  
I'd give up everything  
If only for your good  
So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
You can hold me when I'm scared  
You won't always be there  
So love me when I'm gone_

Love me when I'm gone...

_Or maybe I'm just blind...  
_

**6:41PM**

"Sammy, you ready to go?" The elder Winchester brother stood propped up against the Impala, keeping his distance from the unofficial couple standing by the entrance of the Magic 8 Ball.

"Yeah, in a minute," Sam called over his shoulder. He looked back to the strawberry blonde standing in front of him. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too. And don't act like you're not coming back, you owe me a promise, remember?"

"I remember," he smiled softly. "But I don't know when I'll be able to own up to it, you know that, right?"

"I know. You did your job here, go do your thing in Seattle and everywhere else that needs it and come back to see me whenever do-able. I've got no where to go." She smiled back and stood on her toes to kiss him on the lips. "Plus, if I don't get my shooting skills down soon…"

Sam was too compelled to kiss her again to let her finish her statement, but she was fully contented with that. "Sorry, what were you saying?" he mumbled.

"Don't forget about me, okay?"

"I couldn't if I tried," he chuckled. "But I don't want you holding out for me or anything; I don't know when I'll be back."

She nodded. "Ditto."

"Bye, Hallie."

"Bye, Sammy," the strawberry blonde replied quietly before he walked off towards the rumbling engine of the Impala paralleled to the sidewalk.

Their eyes stayed locked until the car was out of sight and Sam disappeared; the last time she would see him in months.

_So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
Hold me when I'm scared  
And love me when I'm gone  
Everything I am  
And everything in me  
Wants to be the one  
You wanted me to be  
I'll never let you down  
Even if I could  
I'd give up everything  
If only for your good  
So hold me when I'm here  
Right me when I'm wrong  
You can hold me when I'm scared  
You won't always be there  
So love me when I'm gone_

Love me when I'm gone...

_Love me when I'm gone…_

_When I'm gone…_

**A/N: Wow, that was easier to get out than I thought! Yay me! I stalled for too long, I apologize.**

**But chapter four is now out! (:**

**You can't hate me now, lmao xD**

**Leave some feedback, please? ;)**

**XxCrash.And.BurnXx**


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